Interactive: The Uninsured in Texas

Texas still tops the nation for the highest rate of uninsured. One in four Texans didn’t have health insurance in 2011, according to the American Community Survey released last week by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The majority of uninsured Texans are poor adults who are native-born U.S. citizens, according to the survey. And nearly two-thirds of the uninsured — 2.9 million people — are employed. Click through the graphs, which show demographic data from the survey, to get a sense of who the uninsured are in Texas.

A report by demographers at the Hobby Center for the Study of Texas at Rice University estimated that as many as 4.4 million of the 5.8 million Texans without insurance in 2010 could have insurance by 2014, depending on how federal health care reforms are implemented. Flip through the views on the map below to see how many people the Hobby Center estimates would have insurance by 2014 under limited, moderate or enhanced implementation of federal reforms.

One provision in the federal reforms would expand Medicaid to cover able-bodied adults who earn up to 133 percent of the federal poverty threshold, $29,725 per year for a family of four. The federal government would pick up the tab for Medicaid eligibility expansion from 2014 to 2016 and then would provide 90 percent or more of funds to cover additional Medicaid beneficiaries. As the graph shows, 44 percent of uninsured Texans in 2011 had income below 138 percent of the federal poverty threshold.

Gov. Rick Perry and other Republican leaders have said Texas should not expand Medicaid. “Why would you want to put 1,000 more people on the Titanic when you know how it’s going to turn out?” Perry asked during an interview at The Texas Tribune Festival on Friday. Embracing federal health care reform would not solve Texas’ problems, Perry said, adding that “the quickest and wisest and one of the most economical ways of doing that would be to block grant back to the state” so that the Legislature and state officials have the flexibility to design alternative health care options.

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Comments (7)

Y'all just ain't understandin' the logic here. A bust of the celebrated Grand Wizard of the Klan would promote tourism, sales of robes and hoods, and flammable materials. It's not about the minor disagreements of the past, it's about stimulating the economy of the future. And believe it or not, that is exactly what a relative of mine, with whom I seldom speak, has posted about the statue.

I think we've already seen the way our state bungles federal money. Why in the world would the government trust Rick Perry and our maddog legislature to use a block grant wisely. One thing is sure, Perry's supporters would line up to get their share of the money and very little would go to those who need it. The enhanced view of the map makes me more thankful we got a real healthcare bill through Congress and signed into law.

Governor Rick Perry millions of under-privileged poor Texans who do not have any Health Coverage will be covered under The Affordable Care ACT (ACA) expansion of MEDICAID!

My Physician wife's practice is partly dependent on MEDICAID and its viability. Please allow the expansion of MEDICAID to occur in Texas under The Affordable Care ACT.

Believe it or not IT IS A FACT: If states choose to expand Medicaid, the federal government will cover 100 percent of the costs from 2014 to 2016. The feds' contribution will begin to decrease in 2017, but will never be less than 90 percent, under the ACA.

That's why I created a petition to Governor Rick Perry, Texas Governor, The Texas State House, The Texas State Senate, and Governor Rick Perry, which says:

"Please ACCEPT the FREE EXPANSION of MEDICAID under The Affordable Care ACT."

Will you sign this petition? Click here:http://signon.org/sign/accept-free-expansion?source=c.em.cp&r_by=7268737

Thanks!

Ajay Jainajain31@gmail.comTwitter ajain31.Mobile: 214-207-9781

April 10, 2013 @ 7:24 p.m.

Ajay Jain

You or I do not have ANY control over Federal taxes. What all pay into Federal taxes is FIXED. We can not change it ANYWAY. If people understand that then it is easy to understand that some States are donor states and some states are recipient states. Most of the Southern States are recipient states by virtue of what they pay INTO Federal taxes (which is LESS) and what they receive as Federal support (which is MORE).

No state can change the State donor role or State recipient role overnight. Most Republican Governors are just loosing out in that they are refusing the Federal largess (the Federal handout) on Medicaid Expansion because Believe it or not IT IS A FACT: If states choose to expand Medicaid, the federal government will cover 100 percent of the costs from 2014 to 2016. The feds' contribution will begin to decrease in 2017, but will never be less than 90 percent, under the ACA also known as Obamacare.

So people opposing Medicaid Expansion can cry foul till their cows come back home but they will with their State be the looser in the long run. If history is correct it all started the same way for the very well established system of Medicare in this nation.

(Check it out!) Many states refused to accept Medicare in the 60's as a way of doing business just like they are rejecting Medicaid expansion under Obamacare a.k.a. ACA (Affordable Care ACT) but in the long run when Reagan got tired of appearing in anti-Medicare Ads all over the country Medicare was established as the way of doing business (taking care of our elder population's medical needs) and to this day it is an accepted wise and affordable way of supporting our Seniors.

Mark my words in less than a decade i.e. by 2023 Medicaid Expansion will be the accepted norm all over the country and NOT the EXCEPTION. You and I can not beat the economics of fairness. Try your best but within this decade either Governors who accept Medicaid Expansion will be elected or Governors who reject Medicaid Expansion will be DEFEATED.

And if Medicare is any example MEDICAID will go the same rout. I repeat, Mark my words in less than a decade i.e. by 2023 Medicaid Expansion will be the accepted norm all over the country. And I am saying that proudly as I do not find the need to hide my identity behind pseudonyms.

People opposing Medicaid Expansion have access to Google.com and I believe they are intelligent people. Check it out: IT IS A FACT: If states choose to expand Medicaid, the federal government will cover 100 percent of the costs from 2014 to 2016. The feds' contribution will begin to decrease in 2017, but will never be less than 90 percent, under the ACA.

That's why I created a petition to Governor Rick Perry, Texas Governor, The Texas State House, The Texas State Senate, and Governor Rick Perry, which says:

"Please ACCEPT the FREE EXPANSION of MEDICAID under The Affordable Care ACT."

Will you sign this petition? Click here:http://signon.org/sign/accept-free-expansion?source=c.em.cp&r_by=7268737

Thanks!

Ajay Jainajain31@gmail.comTwitter ajain31.Mobile: 214-207-9781

April 10, 2013 @ 7:25 p.m.

Ajay Jain

The Voting Rights Act (VRA) must be upheld by the supreme court:

The numerous despicable attempts to restrict voting made during the last election cycle are proof of that. Anyone who truly believes the VRA is obsolete needs to recognize, given last year's voter suppression efforts, the Jim Crowe era is biding its time.

Now even if you are dumb enough to believe that all is OK with the world and there are no reasons to have the voting rights act on the books. Then why are the the parties at opposite end's on this? Why are the Republicans in America trying to keep people from the poles?

The argument is that VRA is discriminatory against Southern states to require them but not other states to seek pre-clearance for voting laws; I actually agree. The Voting Rights Act should require *ALL* states to seek pre-clearance. After what we've seen the GOP try to pass in states all across the nation prior to the last 2012 election, I see no reason this safeguard against voter suppression should be limited to just Southern states as suggested by VRA of 1965 but now should be expanded to apply to ALL 50 states.